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Joshua tree
noun
: a tall branched arborescent yucca (Yucca brevifolia) of arid regions of the southwestern U.S. that has clustered greenish-white flowers
Examples of Joshua tree in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Related article Iconic Joshua trees burned by massive wildfire in Mojave Desert
Two recent fires in California’s Mojave National Preserve are perfect examples, Mahood said.
—Eric Zerkel, CNN, 21 Mar. 2024
Advertisement Stealing a Joshua tree could now cost you $20,000 in San Bernardino County
May 25, 2022
The Compton restaurant is one of five locations owned by Castellon’s wife’s family.
—Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2024
California’s Joshua trees look like something out of a Dr. Seuss book, resembling a cross between a cactus and a palm tree.
—Liz Kreutz, NBC News, 13 Dec. 2023
The property sits on 50 acres dotted with Joshua trees.
—Dobrina Zhekova, Travel + Leisure, 4 Nov. 2023
There were toppled Joshua trees in the Mojave Desert and dead endangered birds on park roads, former parks officials said.
—Jack Healy, New York Times, 28 Sep. 2023
Per the listing, which is held by Frank Sullivan and Jimmy Quill of Coldwell Banker Realty, there’s even a 1,000-year-old Joshua tree on the property.
—Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 5 Sep. 2023
Columnist Steve Lopez considers the depopulation of Joshua trees caused by heat and fire, and the wider threat to the Mojave desert ecosystem.
—Russ Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2023
Extreme heat, drought and fires are devastating Joshua trees — and even this winter’s rains didn’t help much, columnist Steve Lopez learned on a trip to the desert.
—Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 17 Aug. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Joshua tree.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1884, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near Joshua tree
Cite this Entry
“Joshua tree.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Joshua%20tree. Accessed 1 Jun. 2024.
Kids Definition
Joshua tree
noun
: a tall branched yucca of the southwestern U.S. with short leaves and clusters of greenish white flowers
More from Merriam-Webster on Joshua tree
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about Joshua tree
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